Business travel

The IAG group (British Airways, Vueling) is preparing to launch its own long-haul low-cost airline. Called Level, it will be based in Barcelona and will start flying to Los Angeles on 1 June.

The Navigo pass will soon be able to hire an Autolib' vehicle. Other changes are also planned to make the Navigo a multimodal pass for the Ile-de-France region.

Swiss is continuing the move upmarket it began at the start of 2016. The airline is stepping up investments, both in the cabin and on the ground, to attract business travellers. By the end of 2018, Swiss will have a revamped and connected long-haul fleet.

Hotel Nikko San Francisco reopens its doors on 20 March, following a three-month renovation. The hotel, which is also celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in 2017, is giving itself the means to face the future with ambition, while continuing to move upmarket.

Following Rio in 2016, the international expansion of the brand launched by Serge Trigano will go through the Czech capital next September...

Hilton Garden Inn in Bordeaux, Hampton by Hilton in Clichy, Curio in Paris: the Hilton group is deploying the full range of its brands in France.

Le Figaro has revealed plans for a Sofitel So on the Champs-Elysées by 2021.

Opened on 9 March not far from the Paris flea market, the MOB Hotel is in tune with the times, with its community spirit, sleek design and rooms that focus on the essentials.

Airbus and Italdesign presented Pop.Up on 7 March at the Geneva Motor Show. This new multimodal, electric concept could well revolutionise urban mobility.

Asiana Airlines is continuing to expand in France. The South Korean carrier will soon be introducing its new Smartium business class on the Paris CDG-Incheon route, and intends to introduce daily flights over the coming months.

AccorHotels has entered into a strategic partnership with the Turkish luxury hotel operator Rixos.

The sound of protectionism currently sweeping the globe is also likely to make itself felt in the air transport sector. The first to be targeted are the Gulf carriers, both in Europe and in the United States, where the election of Donald Trump could well change the situation...

A new airline is entering the age of Chatbots. Vueling has just launched Eva, a virtual travel assistant on its smartphone.

In Berlin, Qatar Airways unveiled its brand new QSuite: a private space modelled on a suite for 4 people, installed not in First but in Business Class. The new concept will be launched in June 2017.

On Tuesday, SNCF confirmed the end of IDTGV: a gradual disappearance for the Group's subsidiary, which will run from 2 July to 10 December.

CWT France has just announced a partnership with G7, enabling the business travel agency to integrate a taxi booking platform dedicated to its business travellers: G7 Booking.

The Air Caraïbes A350 was unveiled on 1 March. The Dubreuil Group airline has become the first French carrier to be equipped with this type of Airbus, which is more modern and more fuel-efficient.

2016 was a good year for Best Western, with very significant growth in sales from its central reservations unit, even in France despite a difficult environment. At the same time, the brand continued to move upmarket and develop new technological services.

Air Caraïbes presented its new aircraft on 1 March: the first A350 in the colours of a French airline. Marc Rochet, Chairman of the Air Caraïbes Management Board, explains the importance of the event, and sets out his ambitions for Air Caraïbes and its sister airline French Blue, the long-haul low-cost carrier. Interview by Florian Guillemin

On 28 February, François Hollande inaugurated the Tours-Bordeaux high-speed line. However, business travellers will have to wait until 2 July before they can reach Bordeaux from Paris in 2h05.